Grand Officers

The Grand Officers of the Empire included Marshals, Inspectors General and Colonels General. They had the right to be referred to as "Your Excellence".

Marshals

The title of Marshal was a civilian honour, not a military one. Marshals occupied the fifth position in the imperial hierarchy behind the Emperor and the Empress, the imperial family, Grand Dignitaries and ministers.

Theoretically, the number of Marshals should not exceed sixteen at any one time. The rule was systematically enforced. Lannes died in 1809. Berthier, Murat and Jourdan abandoned their title in the same year and were followed one year later by Bernadotte. Bessières and Poniatowski disappeared in 1813.

Inspector General of the North Coast

Colonels General

There were nine Colonels General.

The Colonel General of the Swiss had no official function as this corps disappeared with the monarchy. The four Colonels General of the Imperial Guard, in contrast, had important duties. They were charged with the organization and administration of the Guard. In principle, the position changed hands every three months, but Bessières was most often in the role.